May 31, 2010

They're not the new kids on the block by any means, but the Brownsville Area Schools Alumni Association has started a renewed effort to bring graduates together.

"We've been here for 10 years, but many graduates aren't aware of our existence and what we do, and are trying to do," said Kevin Fortuna, president of the association's board of directors. "Our organization represents an alliance of thousands of Brownsville Area graduates across the United States and worldwide. With a growing base of graduates, our mission is to cultivate stronger bonds with and among alumni and enable them to be involved in an interactive, customized experience ... become involved in school and class events."One of the major ways the association is doing this, Fortuna, a 1978 Brownsville graduate, said is with the new website: http://basalumni.org.

Fortuna, a longtime educator currently serving as associate principal at Wilkinsburg High School and Middle School, said the enhanced website is designed to provide a conduit specifically for active participation in traditional class and multi-class reunions, meeting classmates and alumni, assisting in funding scholarships, and enhancing and preserving the traditions of the Brownsville Area School District. He also emphasized that the association is open to all alumni, staff, faculty and friends from Brownsville High School, Brashear High School, Redstone High School and Brownsville Area School District.

"The names of our schools may be different, but we share a long and distinguished heritage of pride in the excellence of education, athletics and other facets of school experiences," Fortuna said. "There are no geographic boundaries within our organization. BAS Alumni is open to everyone past and present." He lauded the current Brownsville Area School District administration for its "considerations and cooperation" and noted that students at Brownsville Area High School are actively involved with the group. "We're very grateful to the school district for their help," Fortuna said. "And we're pleased with the input of the current students; they provide great insight."

Dennis (Denny) Matteucci, a 1956 Brownsville High graduate who serves as executive director of the alumni group, offered similar sentiments. "It's important that we recognize the achievements of those who preceded us and the generations that follow, no matter where they went to school or where they lived," Matteucci said. "They are symbols of what can be accomplished and they serve as inspirations to our present students, incentives, if you will, to the idea that your dreams can come true."

Fortuna and Matteucci also called attention to the efforts of Lenora Byrd, Class of 1958, as administrator of the new website. "Just as she does with everything, Lenora has poured her heart and soul into the website," Matteucci said. "It's state-of-the-art with great information, news and links to even more of the same." Profiles of graduates also are featured and members can update their information by registering for a fee.

"So many graduates have their profiles posted on such sites as MySpace, Classmates, Alumniclass, Facebook and others, and they provide good biographies and contact information," Byrd said. "But the basic tenet of the website is to bring all of that to one central location for the convenience of everyone concerned."

I have taken the article and separated it into separate blog excerpts on the various classmates Ron covered in the newspaper (each deserves his/her own notation). The following are other excerpts from the article:

While the graduates at the reunion reveled in recounting their youth and lives over the past 50 years, Albert Dascenzoand committee member, Brenda MitchellVail conducted a solemn ceremony in honor and memory of 58 deceased classmates. "We'll mourn their passing but we celebrate their lives, the joy and love they brought to so many others," Dascenzo, who also served as treasurer of the reunion committee, said. As Dascenzo read the names of the deceased, Vail lit a candle for each. A lone chair was in place at the table holding the candles.

"There is only one chair but it symbolizes all who are no longer with us and is a reminder that they will always will be with us," Dascenzo said. "The table is small but is emphasizes that there is room for everyone. The white tablecloth is a symbol of the purity of their spirit."

Richard Majernik, a longtime teacher at Brownsville High School who is now retired, spoke briefly, and Keith Vail pronounced invocation. Dancing to the music of disc jockey Paul McGrady capped the nostalgic evening.

Dolores MastowskiKocis, a '58 graduate now living in Connellsville, didn't travel as far as Thomas or the DiColas - less than 25 miles via Routes 119 and 40, but she arrived in style in a 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible. "We bought (the car) in 1965 and completely restored it," Kocis said of her late husband, John Kocis, a Connellsville High School graduate, as the Impala drew compliments galore from classmates.

"It's like we've turned back time," a neighbor of the area said as she admired the vintage automobile."There used to be a lot of '58 Chevys, and other cars, parked in front (of the Sons of Italy) when (disc jockey) Leon Sykes ran the record hops here. Those were such great times."

Ron Petersmade a rather short trip for the reunion. He lives in Bethel Park. “This is the first class reunion I've attended," Peters said. "There was always something else going on with work or the family. I haven't seen some of these people since we graduated and I'm really glad to be here." Peters is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served four years in counter-intelligence in such foreign posts as Libya, Greece and Germany."I had a feeling I was going to be drafted, so I enlisted,"

Peters, who finished his military service at Strategic Air Command headquarters in Omaha, Neb., said. "It was a great experience." He worked for Western Union before taking a job with Allegheny Airlines. He continued in that profession with US Airways and worked as a shipping specialist before retiring with 49 years of service. His passion for flying continues today as a licensed sport pilot and owner of a plane based at Finleyville Airport. "It's so much fun being up there," Peters said of flying. "I come up this way a lot and love to fly over the area, remembering what it looked like years ago." Peters, who also has experience as a commercial pilot, also returns to Brownsville by car on a regular basis to visit his mother, Violet Peters, and his sister, Pat Peters.

Another BHS Class of '58 graduate with ties to the high school band is Bob Thomas, who lives in Palm Springs, CA. "That's me," Thomas, an exceptionally gregarious man, said as he pointed to one of several pictures of the Brownsville band on a display board at the reunion.

Thomas was the band's drum major.

"Wow, that was a lot of fun," he said. "I loved music, going to football games and sock hops, so (being the drum major) was a natural outlet for me." He also taught baton twirling at Ernie Ruggiero's dance school.

Thomas, who has lived in Palm Springs since 2002, left Brownsville in 1960 "with no regrets." "I wouldn't say I was a party animal, but I enjoyed having a good time," he said with a knowing smile. "They closed the streets here very early and there wasn't a lot to do. So I said, 'I'm out of here.' I had a '52 Chevy and $150 in my pocket and hit the road." Thomas worked for a freight company in California for 32 years before retiring. He now enjoys traveling and is looking forward to a trip to Brazil later this year.

It isn't often that someone can celebrate a 50th anniversary three times within one year. Emilio R. (Junior) and Marlene DiCola are exceptions. "This is the first one," DiCola said at the 50-year reunion of the Brownsville High School Class of 1958 at Frank Ricco Lodge 731 Sons of Italy. "Next year will be (Marlene's) turn and also our 50th wedding anniversary. So, yes, 50 is a special number for us."The DiColas were a were among the nearly 150 classmates and guests savoring the festive mood of the Class of '58 gathering. While Junior graduated with that group, his wife, the former Marlene Marshall of Allison, graduated in 1959. They now live in Fairfax Station, Va. "We've been (in Virginia) since 1962, but we always look forward to coming back home," DiCola, a retired profes-sional firefighter, said. "It's great seeing longtime friends and recalling the proverbial good old days. We have so many fond memories of (Brownsville)."

They also remember their wedding as if it were yesterday."It was Aug. 6, 1959," DiCola smiled while emphasizing the significance of the date to the BHS reunion, which was held on Aug. 6. "So we're celebrating our 49th anniversary here."DiCola and his bride-to-be, the daughter of the late Cloyd "Bucky" and Rosella Burnell Marshall of Allison, eloped on that warm summer day 49 years ago."It was Kennywood Day for Brownsville and the surrounding communities, so everyone in town was headed for the traditional picnic at the park - everyone except us," DiCola recalled poignantly. "We went the opposite direction, taking Route 40 to Cumberland, Md., where we were married at Saints Peter and Paul Monestary." The DiColas were high school sweethearts, and Junior took advantage of his skills as a drummer with the BHS band to spend more time with Marlene. She and her twin sister, Dr. Darlene McNulty of Iowa City, Iowa, were majorettes. "Marlene and I saw each other in school, of course, and anytime the band was performing," DiCola said. "But the majorettes often had special practices for their marching routines and they always needed a drummer. Guess who volunteered?" The DiColas initially lived in Alexandria when they moved to Virginia in 1962. Junior took a job as a meat cutter in a super market.

"I had worked as a meat cutter at Kotcella's for a few years before we left," DiCola said in reference to the former Brownsville food store. "In fact, Albert (Dascenzo) and I both worked there. Marlene and I felt we needed to move for better job opportunities, so we headed for Virginia." DiCola later worked 25 years as a city firefighter in Fairfax Station and also owned and operated a Dairy Queen in that area. His wife, a registered nurse, worked in the health care profession for some 15 years and also owned and operated two businesses for 25 years. DiCola's brother, the late Albert DiCola, also was a longtime firefighter, and his son and son-in-law are following in those footsteps as a professional firefighter. The DiColas have four children, 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren."They keep us busy, that's for sure, but it's wonderful," DiCola said of the children.Their ties to the area are solidified by Junior's sister, Lena Shashura of Hiller, and Marlene's cousins, Barbara Sassano and her husband, Tony, of Allison and Starr Smalley and her husband, George, of Scenery Hill. Marlene's brother, Barry Marshall, and his wife, Pam, live in Perrysburg, Ohio.

"My (religious) beliefs and confidence in my ability to do the job, whatever it might be, have always guided me," Kara, a lifelong resident of Hiller, said. "I have always had faith in God to get me through whatever comes my way."Those qualities, and others, continue to guide Kara, 68, as he confronts the greatest challenge of his life - the uncertain prognosis of the pancreatic cancer, which threatens his very existence. "No, it's not very good," Kara said of the outlook. "What can you say when you have a disease that claims, within one year, 75 percent of those who are hit with it? You try to be optimistic and think you are going to be in the other 25 percent - those who survive for maybe two years - but you also have to face reality."

Despite the harsh turnaround in his life over the past four months, Kara remains more upbeat than anyone can completely understand."I have no fear (of death)," he said. "I am totally comfortable with where I am and what might lie ahead. I don't ask, 'Why me?' I have accepted (the fate) God has chosen for me."Kara, a state police officer for 33 years and a member of the Washington County Drug Task Force for 10 years after retiring from the state police, was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer in May."We thought it was just indigestion," Kara said of the discomfort that struck not long before he and his wife Marlene prepared to leave for vacation in Florida.Medication prescribed by his family physician, Dr. I. Prakorb, alleviated the problem but only temporarily. Upon his return home, Kara underwent further testing including an endoscopy. The outcome was a mandate to "immediately" see a specialist, Dr. Kenneth Lee, at UPMC Presbyterian Pancreas and Billary Center in Pittsburgh.

The downward spiral continued."They did a biopsy and discovered the cancer had spread to my lungs," Kara, a 1958 graduate of Brownsville High School, said. That diagnosis sent Kara to the Dr. Nathan Bahary at Hillman Cancer Center, the flagship treatment and research center of the UPMC Cancer Centers Network. He's now undergoing and enduring chemotherapy (eight hours of treatment once a week) and is one of only 150 people in the United States involved in clinical trials to study new drugs for treatment of pancreatic cancer. According to the Web site www.MedicineNet.com, researchers across the country are studying pancreatic cancer. They are, the site says, "trying to learn what causes this disease and how to prevent ... looking for better ways to diagnose and treat it."

"If my part (in the research) is meaningful, if what I'm doing can help find a breakthrough, that's fine," Kara said. "I'm fully aware of the ACS (American Cancer Society) statistics and my chances (of surviving). I've told the doctors to tell me what to do and I'll do it. I don't have false hopes, I'm realistic about everything. But I'm not giving up." That determination stems from Kara's faith and trust in God, and his avocation of nearly 25 years as a lay minister. In that latter role, he said, he has always tried to treat people with compassion and understanding."I don't try to convert anyone," he told writer Gary Thomas in a 2002 interview. "I just want to get them to start thinking and talking about religion, make religion a part of their lives."

Kara, one of seven sons and two daughters born to the late John G. and Rose Kara, said he had the "best of both worlds" in being raised as a Protestant in a Hungarian Presbyterian Church but also being schooled in the teachings of the Catholic Church."My father was Protestant and my mother Catholic," he said. "There's an old Hungarian saying that 'Boys follow the father and girls follow the mother.' I was fortunate to learn both (religions). I attended Calvin United Presbyterian Church in Brownsville. In catechism as well as everything else I learned, it was reinforced twice with two languages. I learned everything in English and then again in Hungarian. In fact, I could speak Hungarian before I could speak English."

Kara's path to religion and eventually becoming a lay minister was directed with great influence from the Rev. Victor Bodnar, pastor of Calvin United Presbyterian Church, and the Rev. Kalvin Nemeth, pastor of the former Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church of Brownsville."Father Nemeth escaped Hungary during the 1956 revolution there and went to Canada," Kara said. "He later came to Brownsville. I was 10 years old when I met him because my mother was a member of Sacred Heard. He couldn't speak English and was surprised and happy to learn I could speak Hungarian. So I became his translator."Kara said one of his fondest memories of Father Nemeth is that "he was very open minded" in his approach to religion."He never said you should be a Catholic or anything else," Kara said. "His philosophy was, 'We all worship the same God ... we just use different approaches.' I've never forgotten those words and have tried to follow his advice anytime I'm at the pulpit."

Kara began his service as a minister as an elder at Calvin United Presbyterian Church. He was asked to deliver occasional sermons in the absence of the Rev. Alexander Jalso. Subsequently, he became an elder at First Presbyterian Church in California and was chosen for similar "fill-in" duties by the late Rev. John R. Rankin, the highly respected area clergyman who died earlier this year after more than 50 years in the ministry."Rev. Rankin asked me to sub for him at Sunday worship because he was going out of town," Kara recalled. "He knew I had done sermons a few times at other churches in the area and that I had public speaking experience with the state police. He said he was confident I could handle the job. I wasn't so sure, it seemed so daunting. But (Rankin) gave me spiritual guidance, told me to tell the people what I believe. It worked and I feel totally comfortable, truly at peace behind the pulpit."Kara and Rankin also became "very close" friends over the years."He was my confidant, I could talk with him about anything," Kara said. "He was a gentleman and a gentle man."

Kara, who performs full worship services, bases his sermons on life experiences; that is, his work in law enforcement and his personal life."People were leery of me at first, I guess," he said. "They knew I was a police officer and probably wondered, 'What the heck is this guy doing behind the pulpit?' "But I speak from the heart and try to use thoughts and themes to which the congregation can relate."

Kara's wife of 42 years, the former Marlene Johnson of Allison, said her husband has had a "significant impact" on many lives. To emphasize that point, she poignantly points to Robert Kelly of Greensboro, a close-knit community of about 300 in southern Greene County."(Rich) was filling in at the church there when he met Bob," Mrs. Kara said. "Bob never went to church, although his wife was a member of the congregation. She and their friends tried to convince him to 'go to hear Mr. Kara ... he will change your life.' He insisted he would never set foot in church, but he finally relented and did a complete turnaround. He became a deacon and an elder of the church and tells everyone that Rich 'Brought me to Jesus.' He regularly calls to check on (Rich) and sends the most beautiful cards."

Rich and Marlene are the parents of two daughters, Heather Filoni (Aldo) of Fairfax, Va. and Holly Segie (Ron) of Canonsburg. They have three grandchildren, Jordan Kara, 18, Miranda Segie, 14, and Samuel Segie, 9.Mrs. Kara said the family was "devastated" by the news of her husband's cancer."We were in shock," she said. "But we know this is in God's hands. He will direct us and we are prepared to accept His decision. The best outcome would be to beat (cancer) and keep it in remission. "Whatever happens, we see this experience as God's way of using Rich as an example (of courage and faith) to the many people whose lives he has touched. I firmly believe he's not done."

As a patient at Hillman Cancer Center, Kara is being treated by the same oncology professionals who cared for Dr. Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor who died July 25 after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. Pausch became an inspiration to millions with his positive attitude and a video and book based on his final lecture at CMU."Dr. Pausch was truly an inspiration," Kara said. "I read his book ("The Last Lecture") and it has helped me in so many ways. His impact on the lives of cancer patients and others is immeasurable."Those who know Kara say he is having a similar effect on them."He's an inspiration in every sense of the word," Lenora Byrd of LaBelle, one of Kara's classmates, said recently at the 50-year reunion of the Brownsville High School Class of 1958. "His courage and strength gives hope to all who love and respect him."

Treatment of pancreatic cancer is very strong and side effects, which vary among patients, can be ravaging to the body and mind. Kara, for instance, has lost 60 pounds since May (when he weighed 230)."I've also lost my taste buds," he said."That's a real Catch-22 situation, isn't it? I know I have to have food and nourishment but I have no desire to eat."As of Aug. 14 Kara had undergone seven successive weeks of chemotherapy. Depending on the outcome of further tests, he may be facing several more weeks of treatment. "It's comforting to know that I'm in the hands of the best doctors, nurses and staff at Hillman," Kara said. "They do everything there - the MRI, the blood work, etc. - in a professional and caring way. I appreciate their straightforward approach, their honesty. They pull no punches in letting you know where you stand."Kara is resigned to his fate and reaffirms his acceptance of "whatever God chooses for me.""You know the old saying, 'Only time will tell,'" he said. And the clock is ticking.

October 08, 2007

By Ron PagliaFOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEWSunday, October 7, 2007 ............."So daring in love, and so dauntless in war, Have ye e'er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar?" -- Sir Walter Scott.

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"George Baker and Art "Wick" Bentleyweren't certain where the name of their singing group, The Lochinvars, originated. But John "Kitten" Waltonremembers the source very well. "Our biology teacher, Matthew Wasco, who also was a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, gave us the name," Walton, a 1958 graduate of Brownsville High School now living in Twinsburg, Ohio, said of the vocal group that was among the area's best and most popular in the mid- and late 1950s. "He said Lochinvars translated into 'the lovers' in Scottish." The poem, Lochinvar, is part of Sir Walter Scott's romantic tale Marmion (Canto V), which was published in 1808. Heralding the adventures of a handsome young knight named Lochinvar, it gained popularity on its own and continues to be published separately in poetry books. The name sounded good, I remember that, and it stuck with us," said Baker, a 1959 Brownsville High School graduate who makes his home in Lanham, Md. Bentley, a resident of Alexandria, Va., and a 1958 BHS graduate, offered a similar tale. "We considered a few names when we started singing, but nothing seemed to fit," Bentley said. "I've heard about the reference to poetry." "We liked to sing on the way home from football practice," Baker recalled. "We were a bunch of guys who ran together and singing was part of it. It was just a way of relaxing, walking home and harmonizing." Bentley, one of the top running backs in BHS history, remembers it the same way. "We had that common bond of football and we all liked music, especially doo wop and sweet ballads by groups like the Flamingos, Moonglows, Spaniels and Dells," he said. "We got together on the street corners to refine our sound and we spent a lot of time listening to the radio to learn the lyrics. There were clubs in town that let us come in during the afternoon to listen to the jukebox."

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While the Lochinvars are remembered primarily as a quartet, Baker is quick to point out that the original group comprised five young men. "In addition to Wick, John and me, there were Eugene Thompson and David 'Dave' Gary," Baker said. "Dave was a year older than the rest of us and graduated in 1957. He left and later joined the Air Force, but he was very much a part of our beginning. He was a good singer and a good guy." Thompson, a resident of Hiller, did not respond to a request for an interview for this story. While The Lochinvars, primarily an a capella group, began singing just for fun, their popularity grew. "We were singing at our school, but before we knew it there were requests for us to perform at assemblies at other schools in the area," Baker said. "People really took to us and we had a good following. Next thing we knew, we were singing at dances and clubs in the area."

Still, the group wasn't looking to an entertainment career. "I don't think that was something that ever crossed our minds," Bentley said. "We had other plans; you know, jobs, families. Becoming professional singers wasn't in our future." "We were a cover group; that is, we sang other artists' songs," Baker said. "We didn't write any original songs, but the people who came to our shows liked what they heard." The Lochinvars performed at such venues as the Stockdale Fire Hall, the site of one of the biggest dances for teens in the region, and on other area stages. "You name it and we were probably there," Baker said. "We worked for Leon Sykes in Uniontown. He was a very popular disc jockey and was very supportive of local musicians and singers." Thompson and Bentley took turns fronting the group; that is, singing lead vocals. "Wick always had a great voice, even as kid," Baker recalled. "But Eugene sang a good number of the leads, especially on the fast songs. Art took the lead on the ballads. It made no difference who sang lead, the rest of us just harmonized behind him." "It was a natural thing for us," Bentley said. "Eugene would say, 'I like that song,' and I would let him know the ones I preferred. It was based on our styles. It made no difference. I just thought (performing) was cool."

John Gallice, of Laytonsville, Md., a 1961 Brownsville High graduate and a talented saxophonist, remembers The Lochinvars as "outstanding singers." "They were a very tight group in terms of harmonizing," said Gallice. "They never missed a beat and had great stage presence. They were always a tough act to follow. They had a shot at a record deal, that's how good they were." The recording contract didn't materialize. "That was in 1958, after Art, Eugene and John had graduated," Baker said. "We went to Pittsburgh to cut a demo. Wick's grandmother drove us to Pittsburgh, four excited guys with a lot of hope and this kind woman putting up with us all the way from Brownsville to the city. She had the patience of Job." Although the group did well at the demo session, there was, Baker recalled, "a big catch." "They liked our sound," Baker said. "But they told us we would have to come up with $500 for the studio to pitch the demo to the record companies. That was a heckuva lot of money in those days and we couldn't get it. In retrospect, we were just a group of inexperienced kids who didn't understand the (recording) business."

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Gary, who now lives in Columbus, Ohio, left the group and Brownsville shortly after the recording audition and joined the Air Force. As he recalls it, Gary was with The Lochinvars "almost from their conception." "But I didn't play football," he said. "I did play drums in the high school band. My brother, Melvin Gary, and I both played drums in the marching band. It was great fun." Gary also remembers good times with The Lochinvars. "My best memories rest with singing at dances and the reaction of the crowds," he said. "I never did any singing after I left, nor did I continue playing drums. Sometimes I wish I had. I really enjoyed that experience." Gary grew up on Jackson Street in Brownsville. "At that time Brownsville was a unique town and I really enjoyed my childhood there," he said. "Some of the greatest times were when good friends such as Bobby Hart, George and Art and I would ride to Uniontown and other area towns just to dance." After being discharged from the Air Force, Gary moved to Warren, Ohio, and "decided I wanted to work for myself." He attended Kent State University and Akron University and eventually graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He opened the David Gary Funeral Home in Mansfield, Ohio, and operated it for 10 years before selling the business. He then opened the Gary Memorial Chapel in Columbus, Ohio in 1991. Gary and his wife Geraldine are the parents of four children -- Dawn, Greg and Karen, who live in Columbus, and Corey, of Indianapolis, Ind., and have six grandchildren. Gary has no family in Brownsville and has not been back for several years. "The last time I was in Brownsville was about five years ago," he said. "I drove back just to see the town, but it became too depressing and I haven't been back." Still, Gary has a fondness in his heart for his hometown and longtime friends. "I feel that growing up in Brownsville prepared me for the journey of life," he said.

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Bentley's interest in singing began when he was in grade school. "There was this man in town, Chester Patterson, who was always singing," Bentley said. "He was just a happy person who enjoyed singing, and anytime I heard him, I thought, 'Doggone, that's cool.' So I would practice by myself and sing along with the music on the radio." Although The Lochinvars' actual existence ended around 1960, Bentley continued singing as a student at Pratt Junior College in Pratt, Kan. He went to Pratt, now Pratt Community College, as part of the "Western Pennsylvania Connection" there after concluding an outstanding football and track career at Brownsville. In addition to garnering postseason honors in football, he highlighted his track career by setting a longstanding Mon Valley Classic record of 21.3 seconds in the 220 in 1958. He also did a "10 flat" in the 100-yard dash and anchored the Brownies' 880 relay team. "There was a physician who was originally from the Pittsburgh area and had a practice in Pratt," Bentley said. "He did a lot of recruiting for the college and had a knack for drawing some of the best players from Pennsylvania." Others from Brownsville who joined Bentley in the Pratt fold were quarterback Dave Washington, halfback Earl Brown and ends Jim Breen and Jim Garrett. They were joined by other such Western Pennsylvania products as guard Joe Zensky and lineman Pete Romano.

After graduating from Pratt, Bentley returned home in hopes of finding work. Unable to land a job, he opted to join the U.S. Air Force. Bentley's military career spanned 20 years of assignments in the United States and overseas. He spent the last eight years in Washington, D.C., working security as a member of the Presidential Support Unit assigned to Air Force One with Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. Then he worked eight years as a corrections officer in Prince George's County, Md., and as a draftsman before turning to his current profession as a computer specialist. He and his wife, Lorraine, a Baltimore native, have been married 35 years. They are the parents of a daughter, Zelda, and a son, Carroll, and also have a grandson, Ian. Bentley's mother, Evalena Bentley, resides in Pittsburgh.

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Baker turned to law enforcement as a career. He was a police officer in Washington, D.C., for 22 years before retiring. He also ran a day care center in the nation's capital during that time, sometimes working 19 hours a day at both jobs. He and his wife currently own and operate a successful e-commerce business. Baker began his police career at age 21 as a beat patrolman and worked undercover for seven years on drugs, gambling and illegal alcohol cases. He was a detective working, among other assignments, homicide cases for the final 12 years of his tenure with the D.C. police. "It was dangerous, no question about that," Baker said. "But it was nothing like what exists today. There are a lot of crazy people out there, a lot of drugs that didn't exist years ago. The most we had to cope with was marijuana and heroin. Today, that's just the tip of the iceberg and there are a lot of dangerous people involved, dealers and users. They don't put much value on human lives." The state of Brownsville Borough also concerns Baker. "It's not the same as it was when we were growing up there," he said. "I'm realistic enough to understand that things change everywhere, but it saddens me to drive through town and see what has happened." Baker and his wife, the former Mary Bagley, a 1960 BHS graduate, have been married 46 years. Mary retired after a successful career with Verizon and its predecessor, Bell Atlantic. They are the parents of two daughters, Janet and Renee, and a son, George IV and his wife Amy, and also have four grandchildren, Keenan, Brianna, Jaelyn and George V. George IV played professional baseball in the farm systems of the Baltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins. Like Bentley, Baker doesn't get back to Brownsville "as often as I'd like." He has cousins in the area and relatives in Detroit, Texas and Virginia. He emphasized that he loves to return for the Brownsville High reunions because he gets to see "my old football teammates and the people who supported us as singers."

Baker admits he often misses the days of performing. "Sure I miss it, a lot, and I still love the Oldies," he said, smiling. "For us, it was a form of relaxation. We never expected to get rich from it, but we did have a lot of good times, a lot of fun for good friends." For the last 10 years, Baker also was a dialysis patient. On Jan. 15, 2007, he received a kidney transplant at the National Institutes of Health. "I know God worked a miracle in my life, and I will forever be grateful to him and the donor's family," Baker said.

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John Walton also is a man of deep faith, and his love for singing was nurtured in the church. "Initially, I sang with choirs at Baptist churches in Maxwell and Fredericktown," he said. "As a teenager, I sang with a church group, the Baptist Specials. About the same time, I was singing with the school chorus and also with a small rock 'n roll group called the Kool Tones. As I remember, this group was comprised of Eugene Thompson, Arthur Bentley, Sam Smith and myself. Later, when we entered high school, we continued as a singing group. Sam, our bass, graduated in 1956, but we were blessed with George Baker, also a bass, and Dave Gary, a baritone." Before long the group caught the attention of the student body at Brownsville and won a high school talent show in 1958 by singing the Del Vikings' "Come Go With Me." "With our photo on the front page of The Brownsville Telegraph, The Lochinvars became an item on the entertainment scene in town and the surrounding areas," Walton said. "We performed several places and on one occasion worked with the Harold Betters Trio at California State Teachers College. We also were fortunate to have a three-piece band accompany us after winning the talent show. It included Johnny Gallice on saxophone, a keyboard player (Tommy George) and a drummer (Guy Remonko). There also were times when Ernest Harris sang with us, usually at the Brownsville Skating Rink." Gallice, George and Remonko were later joined by bass guitarist Joe Sangston to form the original Tommy Charles Quartet.

Walton, 67, was the ninth of 12 children born in the coal mining village of Maxwell to the late Rev. Mack Walton and Larnell Walton, who were married for 59 years. In 1952 the family moved to Hiller, and Walton attended elementary school in Maxwell and Hiller before entering Brownsville Junior High School and then BHS. Following graduation in 1958, he enrolled at California State Teachers College, where he was graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education (mathematics major and biological science minor). "I was privileged to be a charter member and vice president of the first Black fraternity (Kappa Alpha Psi) at California," he said. It was during his college days that Walton joined the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course in April 1961 and attended Marine Corps Officers Basic School in the summers of 1961 and 1962. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the USMC upon graduating from college in January 1963. He believes he was the first black to be commissioned a Marine Corps officer in Fayette County. Walton taught mathematics and science in the Cleveland Public Schools from January to May 1963. In June he reported to the Marine Corps base at Quantico to begin his active duty. After additional schooling, he was assigned to a Marine helicopter squadron deployed to Southeast Asia. He was stationed in Da Nang, South Vietnam for most of 1965 and was promoted to first lieutenant in July. He returned to the Untied States in December 1965, left active duty in 1966 and later was promoted to captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He returned to teaching in Cleveland in the summer of 1966. Utilizing the GI Bill, he resumed his education and earned a Master of Arts degree in mathematics at Cleveland State University in 1972 and a Master of Educational Administration in 1974. He also studied at Case Western University and Kent State University. In 1976, he began teaching mathematics at Cuyahoga Community College on a part-time basis while still employed in the Cleveland Public Schools. He resigned from the CPS position in 1978 and was hired as a full-time instructor at CCC. After teaching 23 years at the Tri-C and 37 years overall in Ohio, he retired in September 1999. He returned to the community college as a part-time professor of mathematics in 2000 and continues in that position today. Walton and his wife Sharon are the parents of four children -- the Rev. John R. Walton Jr., pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Milwaukee; Dr. Janelle R. Walton, an OBGYN in her fourth year of residency at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus; Dr. Jennifer R. Walton, a pediatrician in her second year of residency at Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital, and Julia R. Walton, who began studies this month at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. The Waltons also have four grandchildren -- John II, Daniel, Samuel and Grace, the children of Rev. Walton and his wife, Lorrie.

While Baker, Walton and Thompson didn't continue performing after The Lochinvars broke up, Bentley did. Stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in 1961, he formed a group called The Dukes. Composed of Bentley and fellow Airmen Walter D. Jackson, Curtis A. Jefferson and George O. Watkins, the group won first place in a USO Armed Forces Talent Show. Two years later, Bentley was assigned to Osan Air Base in South Korea and was singing with another group, the Stars of Osan. They performed at several venues, and Bentley has among his archives a newspaper photo showing the group in action at the Double Five Service Club. Other members of the Stars of Osan were Booker T. Washington, Ronnie Borgan, James Bass and William Reed.

The last time any of The Lochinvars sang together was in 1997 at the multiple class reunion of Brownsville High School graduates at the West Brownsville Fire Hall. "It was just John, Wick and me," Baker said. "They asked us to sing something. We did and it was a lot of fun." Bentley also remembers the moment as though it were yesterday. "It took us back to the beginning, brought back a lot of memories," Bentley said. "The crowd talked us into singing, even though there were only three of us. We did a ballad and the applause sounded great. I'll never forget the leader of the band playing that night coming up to us after we sang and saying, 'Hey, you guys are still damn cool.' That meant a lot."

September 11, 2007

Ron has been very busy writing articles about our classmates from Brownsville: great writings indeed. I decided to simply include the articles instead of the links to the Tribune-Review. The articles are very long, but very interesting. First article posted in paper on September 2, 2007:

Road to careers, retirement began in Fayette coal mines: By RON PAGLIA,TRIBUNE-REVIEW

As a student at Brownsville High School, William Leon "Willie" Byrd enjoyed playing the trumpet in the marching band. But thoughts of getting a job after graduation was the real music to his ears. "Oh, I enjoyed being in the band," Byrd, now a resident of Baltimore, MD, said. "We had a great time going to the (football) games and marching up and down the field before the game and during the halftime shows. But many of us were looking forward to getting out of school, going to work and earning some money. Those were lean years for most families and having a job provided stability." With that goal firmly planted, Byrd knew his music career would end when he received his diploma from Brownsville High in June 1948."No, I never gave any thought to a career in music," he said. "As much as I loved playing the trumpet and being in the band, I realized (music) was not in my future."Then, flashing a broad smile that is part of his warm personality, Byrd said laughingly, "Let me put it this way: I was an OK musician, but you won't find me in the first row of the band picture in our yearbook. I was not the lead trumpet."

Byrd, 78, was raised by his aunt, Eunice Byrd, 87, in LaBelle. Eunice also cared for her mother and was raising her daughter, Lenora, at the same time. "She is such a wonderful woman," Willie Byrd said of his aunt. "She is an incredible person with a big heart, compassion and concern for everyone around her. We didn't have a lot in terms of material things, but (Eunice) gave us a warm and loving home, and no one can ask for more than that when you're growing up." Byrd and a boyhood friend, Mike Bogovich, went to work in at the nearby Maxwell Mine owned by the H.C. Frick Coke and Coal Company.In 1951, they transferred to the United States Steel Corporation's Coal Division's Karen Mine near Brownsville.

It was during his tenure at the Karen facility that Byrd and several fellow miners drew media attention because of their unique method of getting to work on most days of the year. They crossed the Monongahela River in an outboard powered skiff. The boat was christened "Germaine" in honor of Byrd's wife.A November 15, 1954 media release from U.S. Steel shows Byrd, identified as the craft's "Skipper," with his "chief mate," Albert Lee and a passenger, Roy Harvey, leaving the Karen Mine dock for their homes in Mawell. Byrd and Lee were both mining machine operators at the Karen Mine at the time.The news release noted that the trip across the river "takes about three minutes." And Byrd jokingly pointed out that he did not have any sonar or radar equipment on board."I just point the skiff at a 45 degree angle and Al and I shove off in the general direction of the Karen tipple," he said at the time. "The only difficulty they occasionally encountered was when fog shrouded the river."That made (navigating) a little tough at times," he recalled at the recent Brownsville High School multiple class reunion at The American Legion in West Brownsville.

Winter weather and Mother Nature also cancelled the river trips at times."If there was ice in the river or if the water was running too high or too choppy, we would take the long way around by car," Byrd said. "We took turns driving our cars. It was a longer in terms of miles and time, but it was also much safer."Byrd's mining experience also included work at the Colonial Docks, and his efforts gained recognition on several levels.

He received a certificate from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, for completing a course in safety instruction in coal mining and was lauded with two Miners' Certificate of Service awards from U.S. Steel. In 1952, the Pennsylvania Department of Mines presented him with a certificate for completing a course of instruction in administering first aid. The certificate was signed by Commonwealth officials Richard Maize, secretary of mines, and W. Garfield Thomas, deputy secretary of mines. A year later, the federal Department of the Interior honored him with similar recognition.He also received achievement certificates from the Department of Interior for Accomplishment in Safety and Coal Mine Accident Prevention for Miners.

In a letter dated November 10, 1954, R.C. Beerbower Jr., superintendent of the Karen Mine, thanked Byrd and his fellow miners for "so generously giving of your time and effort in making the Accident Prevention Course at Karen Mine so successful. Beerbower invited Byrd and his family to a safety rally at German Township High School in McClellandtown "in appreciation of the interest you have shown." Also taking part in the rally were company officials, representatives of the United Mine Workers of America and the heads of state and federal agencies. Byrd didn't limit his career options to the mines."I liked the work, but I was looking for something else," he said. "I studied welding and blueprint reading and went to school during the day while working the night shift at the mines."That led to a lengthy career at the Freuhoff Company in Uniontown. In 1965, Byrd left the area to take a job with Westinghouse Corp. in Baltimore. He worked there for 29 years before retiring in 1994.

Born in Luzerne Township in 1929, Byrd attended Maxwell Elementary School before going to Brownsville junior and senior high schools. He and his late wife had two sons, Delmus, who lives in Hopwell, VA and works for Ford Motor Company, and Greg, a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who served 20 years and retired with the rank of commander. Greg now lives in Virginia Beach and works as the city planner in Suffolk, VA.

As a younger man, Byrd enjoyed hiking the nearby woods and fields of Fayette and Washington counties looking for rabbits, pheasants and squirrels. "It was, for the most part, small game," he said of his hunting adventures. "I always wanted to get the big prize, a buck deer, but I guess it wasn't in the cards."Although he retired from Westinghouse 12 years ago, Byrd wasn't about to slow down."I liked being busy," he said. "There was always something to do at home, renovations inside and out, and I enjoyed working on cars." Three years ago, however, his son Greg encouraged Byrd to "slow down and relax." "He kept after me to start enjoying life and wanted me to learn to play golf," Byrd said. "I listened to him and followed him around the course before finally deciding to take his advice. He gave me his old clubs to get started and now I play about three times a week." Heeding his son's advice has been beneficial to Byrd."My doctors tells me it's good for me, that it helps my heart, body and soul," he smiled. "And playing golf has given me the opportunity meet a lot of nice people."

Byrd doesn't return to the Brownsville area as often as he used to, noting that the 220-mile, four-hour journey "takes it toll" at times. "I took my time and (the trip) was OK," Byrd said at the Brownsville High School reunion. "But I'm not up to making those long drives anymore." The drain of drive notwithstanding, Byrd emphasized how much he enjoys the reunions."I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world," he said. And he stressed the pride he has in his cousin Lenora's first efforts as an author. She recently published her first book, "WAC Major: Herstory, A Black Woman In The White Man's Army," and Willie Byrd draws attention in the autobiography. "There I am on Page 14," he said with another wide smile on his face.He was making reference to a picture of him as a young child holding a bayoneted Japanese rifle, a souvenir of World War II and a family treasure."I was a lot younger then," Byrd said of the picture taken when he was about five or six years old. "Man, where do those years go?"

Byrd also reflected the sentiments of the more than 300 people in attendance at the BHS reunion. "A lot of good people came from here," he said. Willie Byrd is definitely one of them.